Chemical dispensing apparatus and methods for dispensing a chemical to a reaction chamber

• US 10,658,205 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2017
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holdings B.V.
• Inventors: Sharma, Varun
• Primary Examiner(s): Vinh, Lan
• Application Number:
  US15/719,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20190096708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 438745, 438750, 438752, 438795, 438706, 1563451, 15634518, 15634522
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4488 by in situ generation of reactive gas by chemical or electrochemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45561 Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching

Abstract

A chemical dispensing apparatus for providing a chlorine vapor to a reaction chamber is disclosed. The chemical dispensing apparatus may include: a chemical storage vessel configured for storing a chlorine-containing chemical species, a reservoir vessel in fluid communication with the chemical storage vessel, the reservoir vessel configured for converting the chlorine-containing chemical species to the chlorine vapor, and a reaction chamber in fluid communication with the reservoir vessel. Methods for dispensing a chlorine vapor to a reaction chamber are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A chemical dispensing apparatus for providing a chlorine vapor to a reaction chamber comprising:

a chemical storage vessel configured for storing a chlorine-containing chemical species as a liquid or solid;

a reservoir vessel in fluid communication with the chemical storage vessel, the reservoir vessel configured for converting the chlorine-containing chemical species to the chlorine vapor;

a reaction chamber for semiconductor device fabrication in fluid communication with the reservoir vessel;

a vapor storage unit for storing the chlorine vapor, the vapor storage unit disposed between the reservoir vessel and the reaction chamber; and

one or more heating units configured for heating the chlorine-containing chemical species stored in the chemical storage vessel,

wherein the chlorine vapor from the reservoir vessel is introduced into the reaction, and

wherein the chemical storage vessel comprises an inner surface coated with a fluorine based film, wherein the fluorine based film comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PETG), or polyamide based copolymers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber comprises the reaction chamber of an atomic layer etch apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chemical storage vessel comprises a quartz material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir vessel further comprises one or more heating units configured to thermally decompose the chlorine-containing chemical species.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reservoir vessel further comprises a chemical reagent configured to react with the chlorine-containing chemical species to produce the chlorine vapor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chlorine vapor comprises chlorine (Cl₂).

7. A method for dispensing a chlorine vapor to a reaction chamber comprising:

providing a chemical storage vessel, the chemical storage vessel containing a chlorine-containing chemical species as a liquid or solid;

flowing the chlorine-containing chemical species from the chemical storage vessel to a reservoir vessel;

converting the chlorine-containing chemical species into a chlorine vapor inside the reservoir vessel;

controllably flowing the chlorine vapor into the reaction chamber; and

performing one or more of an etching process and a cleaning process using the chlorine vapor,

wherein the chlorine-containing chemical species comprises at least one of CCl₄, C₂Cl₆, succinyl chloride, malonyl chloride, fumaryl chloride, methylenesiccinic acid chloride, glutaryl chloride, oxalyl chloride, TiOCl₂, NbOCl₃, MoOCl₄, WOCl₄, ReO₂Cl₃, ClF, BrCl, ClF₃, ClF₅, ICl₃, ICl, FClO₂, FClO₃, or Cl₂O.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the chemical storage vessel comprises an inner surface coated with a fluorine based film, wherein the fluorine based film comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PETG), or polyamide based copolymers.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the chemical storage vessel comprises a quartz material.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing one or more heating units configured to heat the chlorine-containing chemical species stored in the chemical storage vessel.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the chlorine-containing chemical species comprises at least one of S₂Cl₂, Se₂Cl₂, SCl₂, SCl, PCl₅, SeCl₄, SeCl₂, SiCl₄, SbCl₃, ICl₃, ICl, SbCl₅, BCl₃, SeO₂Cl₂, SO₂Cl₂, SeOCl₂, or SnCl₄.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the chlorine-containing chemical species comprises a substituted or non-substituted alkyl sulfenyl chloride, or a substituted or non-substituted alkyl sulfonyl chloride.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein converting the chlorine-containing chemical species into a chlorine vapor further comprises decomposing the chlorine-containing chemical species.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the reaction chamber comprises the reaction chamber of an atomic layer etching system.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a vapor storage unit for accumulating and storing the chlorine vapor, the vapor storage unit disposed between the reservoir vessel and the reaction chamber.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein converting the chlorine-containing chemical species into a chlorine vapor further comprises reacting the chlorine-containing chemical species with a chemical reagent.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the chemical reagent comprises at least one of oxygen (O₂), water (H₂O), ozone (O₃), a transition metal or a metal oxide.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein controllably flowing the chlorine vapor into the reaction chamber further comprises exposing a substrate disposed within the reaction chamber to the chlorine vapor.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein exposing the substrate within the reaction chamber to the chlorine vapor further comprises etching a portion of the substrate.

20. A method for dispensing a chlorine vapor to a reaction chamber comprising:

providing a chemical storage vessel, the chemical storage vessel containing a chlorine-containing chemical species as a liquid or solid;

flowing the chlorine-containing chemical species from the chemical storage vessel to a reservoir vessel;

converting the chlorine-containing chemical species into a chlorine vapor inside the reservoir vessel;

controllably flowing the chlorine vapor into the reaction chamber; and

performing one or more of an etching process and a cleaning process using the chlorine vapor,

wherein the chemical storage vessel comprises an inner surface coated with a fluorine based film, wherein the fluorine based film comprises at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polyethylene terephthalate copolymer (PETG), or polyamide based copolymers.